Fluids Engineering Science Laboratry

流体設計研究室 教授より / From the Professor of the Fluids Engineering Design Laboratory

教授 下山 幸治 / Koji Shimoyama, Professor

液体(水など)および気体(空気など)の総称である「流体」は,私たちの生命に欠かせない物質です.また,自動車・航空機・エンジン・発電機など,流体から力やエネルギーを得て作動する流体機械は,私たちの日頃の生活を豊かにしてくれます.

Gas (e.g., air) and liquid (e.g., water) collectively mean "fluids" and are essential substances for our life. Also, fluid machinery (e.g., automobiles, aircraft, engines, and power generators) works with force and energy obtained from flow and usually enriches our life.

研究について / About research

流体機械を設計する上で,力やエネルギーを産み出す流体現象の解明が必要不可欠となります.しかし,流体力学は非線形偏微分方程式の系「Navier-Stokes方程式」に支配される,非常に難解な学問です(事実,この方程式を理論的に,すなわち「手計算」で解くことができた人には,懸賞金がかけられています).そこで当研究室では,
数値計算(スーパーコンピュータ)実験(光学計測)
実験(光学計測)
を通して,渦・衝撃波・音など,流体機械の特性の鍵を握る流体現象を詳細に解明する研究に取り組んでいます.
さらに,流体機械を設計する際には,様々な設計候補を挙げて検討し,それらの中から設計要求に応えられるものを探し出す必要があります.従来,この作業は設計者の知識・経験・勘を頼りに行われてきましたが,設計問題が大規模化および複雑化するに従い困難になります. そこで当研究室では,
最適化(数理科学・データ科学)
により,設計者の技量に依ることなく,革新的な流体機械を創出する研究に取り組んでいます.

For fluid machinery design, it is necessary to clarify the flow phenomena that produce force and energy. However, fluid dynamics is a highly complex discipline governed by a system of nonlinear partial differential equations, the "Navier-Stokes equations" (indeed, there is a prize for those who can solve these equations theoretically, i.e., by hand calculations). Therefore, this laboratory is working on research to clarify the flow phenomena (e.g., vortex, shock wave, and acoustics) in detail, which are crucial to the characteristics of fluid machinery, through
Numerical simulations (supercomputers),
Experiments (optical measurements).
Moreover, when designing fluid machinery, it is necessary to consider various design candidates and find out one of them that can meet design requirements. Traditionally, it has been carried out based on the designer's knowledge, experience, and intuition, but it gets more complicated as the design problem becomes more extensive and complex. Therefore, this laboratory is working on research to create innovative fluid machinery independent of a designer's skill assisted by
Optimization (mathematical and data sciences).

産学官連携について / About industry-academia-government collaboration

当研究室はこれまでに,九州大学外の様々な企業および研究機関と,国内および国際共同研究を実施しています.さらに今後も,新たな連携を歓迎しています.

So far, this laboratory has conducted domestic and international collaborative research with various companies and research institutes outside Kyushu University. Furthermore, this laboratory still welcomes new collaboration in the future.